Ballpoint-pen with a light-bulb disposed adjacent the ballpoint



Dec. 13, 1960 P. BUSCHLE 2,964,614

BALLPOINT-PEN WITH A LIGHT-BULB DISPOSED ADJACENT THE BALLPOINT FiledJuly 8, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet '1 I0 10 \W/r 1 9 27 l3 /2 v 22 4; T ,7 776" 32 7 24 j; 4 i 2 20 3 .31 g

INVENTOR.

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United rates Tatent.

BALLPOINT-PEN WITH A LIGHT-BULB DISPOSED ADJACENT THE BALLPOINT PaulBuschle, Lederstrasse 17, Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany Filed July 8,1958, Ser. No. 747,206 Claims priority, application Germany July 17,1957 '4 Claims. (Cl. 240-646) The present invention relates to aballpoint-pen with a battery-fed light-bulb disposed adjacent theballpoint, which light-bulb is put in and out 'of the closed circuit,

respectively, by the pressure mechanism operating the writing utensil.

Ballpoint-pens are known which have a pressure mechanism operating theforward and backward movement of the writing utensil. It is also knownto provide a light source at the point of the ballpoint-pen, whichlights up the writing surface. An electric light-bulb is provided forthis purpose.

It causes appreciable difficulties to form a pressure mechanism in sucha manner that it causes, in addition to the movement of the writingutensil, the openingand .closing, respectively, of the circuit of thelight-bulb, and furthermore tomaintain the ballpoint-pen in operativecondition in spite of its necessary disassembly caused by frequentchange of the Writing implement and of the battery and to make possiblea simple disassembly. First of all, a device is required which providesa safe, electric contact, which is assembled without screws and whichcenters exactly.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide aballpoint-pen which comprises an insulating sleeve receiving the writingimplement, which sleeve car- .ries at its rear end a metal-piston,having a projection at its front face, into which projection is inserteda guide sleeves being overlapped by the free tongue-like working ends ofan immovable sleeve.

It is another object of the present invention toprovide a ballpoint-penwhich has advantages bringing about an undisturbed use and operation,since at first due to the insulating sleeve and due to the possibilityof arranging a long metal piston a sliding contact can be achieved,which is reliable since the contact faces rub each other clean, thereby,always leading to the full light output.

This formation permits also an easy mounting particularlyduring changeof the writing implement, since it forms a closed screwless unit, whichis extremely sensitive, be-

:cause-first of all the sleeves sitting on the guide pin centerthemselves.

In orderto achieve an exact positioning of the switch 4' position in thepressure mechanism, in accordance with -the present invention, thethick-walled, slidable sleeve of .largest diameter is movably guided ona longer thin- -Walled sleeve, which is supported by the sleeve ofsmaller diameter. -..A simple arrangement of the pressure mechanism isbrought about in accordance with the present invention .by forming theprojection, formed integrally with the pisis'tapered down in "thedirection of the end '2 ton, ofthe metal piston sitting on'theinsulating sleeve, face of' said piston.

The sleeve surrounding the pressure mechanism may now be equippedadvantageously with lateral, upper and lower projections, in order tofit in the lighting arrangement, between which projections the batteryis clamped in and said lower projection serves as amounting ring for theouter cover which slides over the upperpro'jection. The outer cover issecured from its end face with a single screw which is received by theupper'projection.

It is thus also possible to mount the light-bulb in an easy manner, inaccordance with the present invention, by providing a bore in the lowerprojection, which here is lined with sheet metal and equipped with aring formation at its lower end, the light-bulb being received .insaidbore. Two tubes spread apart by means of a helical spring andtelescoping within each other are mounted "in the bore with intermediatearrangement of an insulating sleeve, said tubes engaging with one end aterminal of the light-bulb and with the other end the terminal of thebattery.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the ballpoint-pen designed in accordancewith .the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial section of the ballpoint-pen shown in Fig. l, thewriting implement being shown in withdrawn position and the outer coverfor the light arrangement being removed for better showing;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in axial section, wherein thepressure mechanism .stands in the first switch ing position, that meanswithout light, yet its writing implement in writing position; I

Fig. 4 is an elevational view partly inaxial section with the light inoperation and its writing implement in writ ing position;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view partly in axial section,

- wherein the writing implement is released in order to be withdrawn,that means the writing implement being pushed through completely;

Fig. 6 is an axial section of the sleeves at enlarged scale in theswitching position of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section along the lines 77 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 is sectionalong the lines 88 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, the ballpoint-pen comprises a writingimplement 1 which is mounted, in a chamber 2 of the longitudinal body 3and is carried by apressure spring 4. A pressure mechanism is providedat the upper end of the body 3, which pressure mech anism switches onand off, respectively, the light buib 5 with the advance stroke andreturn stroke respectively, of the writing implement 1.

The pressure mechanism comprises an insulating sleeve 6 receiving therear end of the writing implement 1, which sleeve 6 in turn has at itsrear end sitting thereon a metal piston 7. The latter carries aprojection 8 at its upper or rear end face. A guide pin 9 is driven intoa central bore of the projection 8 and of the metal piston 7 to formtherein a pressure seat, the free end of the guide pin 9 carrying at itsfree end a push-button 1 Two sleeves 11 and 12 disposed in series areslidably .arranged between the projection 8 of the piston 7 and thelower or front edge of the push-button 10.

The sleeve 11 has a diameter which is slightly greater for apredetermined amount than that of the rearedge of the projection 8 andenters the ,latter with a dishlike end face, so thata centering isbrought about between thesetwo elements.

The sleeve 12 has likewise a diameter which is somewhat greater thanthat of the sleeve 11 and enters into the dish-like hollowed oppositeend face in centering manner. The sleeve 12 is formed thick-walled andguided along a longer tubular sleeve 13.

The tubular sleeve 13 has somewhat shorter length than the distance fromthe lower edge of the pushbutton 10 to the end face of the sleeve 11engaging the projection 8, so that the sleeve 11 may perform a slight-axial movement, the stroke of which sufiices for the entrance of thetongue-like operating ends 14 of an immovable bushing 15 (Fig. 3). Thesleeve 12 can, however, perform also on the tubular sleeve 13 an axialmovement towards the lower edge of the push-button 10, so that thetongue-like ends 14 open a slit between the sleeve 11 and the sleeve 12and may enter said slit (Figs. 4 and 7).

Furthermore, the sleeve 12 can, upon complete pushing through of thepush-button 10, bring into slit-free engagement the sleeve 11 with theprojection 8, so that the tongue-like ends 14 slide backwards into theoriginal position of the pressure mechanism (Fig. 2).

In order to reduce the tension of the tongue-like ends 14 in thisposition, the projection 8 is tapered down in the direction towards theend face of the piston 7.

During operation of the pressure mechanism, in addition to the forwardstroke of the writing implement 1, a contact is closed in the circuit ofthe light-bulb. This contact is formed by the metal piston 7, thecircumference of which engages a contact spring 16, which is connectedwith one terminal 17 of a battery 23. The other contact spring 18 formsa slide contact, the clip or wire 19 of which leads to the socket 20.

The body 3 surrounding the writing implement 1 has lateral projections21 and 22 which are disposed in the same plane and a battery 23 isinserted between the projections 21 and 22. The lower or frontprojection 21 serves as a mounting set-off 24 for the outer cover 25which slides over the rear projection 22. The outer cover 25 has a cap26, through which the push-button 10 projects and which secures theouter cover 25 on the rear projection 22 by means of a single screw 27received by the latter.

The lower projection 21 has a bore 29 which is lined with a sheet metalbody and equipped with an annular set-off 28 at its forward end, thelight-bulb being supported in said bore 29. The light-bulb 5 ismaintained in this position by two tubes 31 and 31' which aretelescopically spread apart by an inner helical spring 30. The tubes 31and 31 are surrounded by an insulating sleeve 32 and engage with one endone terminal of the light-bulb 5 and with the other end one terminal ofthe battery 23.

, The light-bulb 5 is suitably covered by a protecting cap 33 made ofclear glass.

The operation of the described ballpoint-pen is as follows:

At the first, short stroke pressure on the push-button 10, the writingimplement 1 is brought from its original position, shown in Fig. 2, intothe position shown in Fig. 3, where it is ready for writing. Thetongue-like ends 14 of the immovable bushing 15 move, thereby, over theedge of the projection 8 and move the sleeve 11, which abuts the tubularsleeve 13 after a short stroke, and the tubular sleeve 13 in turn abutson the lower edge of the push-button 10. In this position the contactspring 18 does not come yet into engagement with the metal piston (Fig.3).

It now the writing implement 1 is advanced still further by operation ofthe push-button 10 against the pressure of the spring 4, the tongue-ends14 slide over the sleeve 11, move'the sleeve 12 and enter into theopening slit between the sleeves 11 and 12 (Fig. 4). In this positionthecontact spring 18 engages the metal piston 7 so that the circuit ofthe light-bulb 5 is closed and the latter lights up. The writingimplement is then sup ported in an advanced position.

In order to open the circuit and to withdraw the writing implement 1,respectively, the push-button 10 is pushed through completely. Thetongue-ends 14 of the bushing 15 step out, thereby, of the slit andslide on the circumference of the sleeve 12. Due to the pressure of thespring 4, the writing implement 1 and the piston 7 move together withthe sleeves 11 and 12 against the tongue-ends 14, upon release of thepush-button 10, so that the tongue-ends 14 slide along and are returnedover the sleeve 11 on to the projection 8. The writing implement 1has'now returned to its original position and the circuit of thelight-bulb 5 is opened. It is now possible, to repeat the cycle asdescribed above, by advancing the writing implement 1 and to close thecircuit of the light-bulb 5 in the record switching position.

The exchange of the battery 23 and also the exchange of the light-bulb 5is made possible, if required, merely by removal of the old elements andinsertion of a new one.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. In a ballpoint-pen, a longitudinal body, a ballpoint writingimplement axially movable in said longitudinal body, a battery-fedilluminating device having a light bulb disposed in said longitudinalbody adjacent said writing implement, said illuminating device beingadapted to light up the writing surface, a helical spring surroundingsaid writing implement and tending to urge the latter into saidlongitudinal body, a metal piston secured to the rear end of saidwriting implement and having a projection extending rearwardly from therear end face of said piston, said longitudinal body defining an openingat its rear end face, a pressure mechanism for step-wise axial forwardmovement of said writing implement through said longitudinal bodyagainst the force of said helical spring, said pressure mechanismcomprising a push button axially movable in and projecting through saidrear end opening of said longitudinal body, means for connecting saidpush button with said writing implement for joint axial movement, aninsulating sleeve surrounding at least the rear portion of said writingimplement, said push button having a plurality of forwardly projectingtongue-like gripping ends, two sleeves disposed axially behind eachother and axially movable between said push button and said projectionof said metal piston, said tongue-like gripping ends engagingselectively the end face of said metal piston, the adjacent faces ofsaid sleeves and the outer face of the rearmost of said sleeves,respectively, in response to the axial position of said push button,said illuminating device including a rear contact spring blade and afront contact spring blade, said contact spring blades beingv axiallyspaced apart from each other and disposed in the circuit of said lightbulb, said rear contact spring blade engaging said metal piston in therearmost inoperative position, in an intermediate operative position andin the most forward operative position of said writing implement, andsaid front contact spring blade engaging said insulating sleeve in therearmost inoperative position and in the intermediate operative positionand engaging said metal piston in the most forward position of saidwriting implement, so that the circuit of said light bulb is closed byelectrically connecting said contact spring blades by means of saidmetal piston in the most forward position of said writing implement.

2. The ballpoint-pen, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sleeves haveat their forward end a conically shaped outer face and the rear face ofsaid projection and of the forward of said two sleeves forming acomplementary,

inner conical face, in order to center said projection and said sleevesrelative to each other,

3. The ballpoint-pen, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outerdiameter of the rearrnost of said sleeves is larger than that of theother of said two sleeves, and the diameter of the latter is larger thanthat of said projection of said metal piston.

4. The ballpoint-pen, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said meansconnecting said push button with said writing implement comprises aguide pin secured to said push button at one end and to said metalpiston at the other end, and includes a tubular sleeve moving axially onsaid guide pin and of a length shorter than that of said guide pin,

said tubular sleeve abutting said pressure button and the forward one ofsaid two sleeves, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,222,948 Hawthorne Apr. 17, 1917 2,727,981 Carpenter Dec. 20, 19552,811,632 Bartlett Oct. 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,040,172 France May20, 1953 187,458 Austria Oct. 25, 1956

